Frame Device for Use in Bulding-in a Balcony

ABSTRACT

A frame device adapted to be mounted between a balcony slab and a roof slab ( 2 ) located above the former supports wall elements ( 16, 16′, 16″ ) for building-in a balcony. The frame device has an upper horizontal sectional element ( 17 ), which supports a second sectional element ( 31 ), which is parallel thereto and which is connected to the upper horizontal sectional element pivotally about a pivot axis parallel to the upper horizontal sectional element ( 17 ). The second sectional element ( 31 ), which is arranged to support a blind device ( 35 ) adapted for the balcony, is pivotable relative to the upper horizontal sectional element ( 17 ) between an inwardly pivoted position and an outwardly pivoted position for use of the blind device ( 35 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a frame device, which is adapted to be mounted between a balcony slab and a roof slab located straight above the former and to support wall elements, such as glass plates, for at least partial building-in of a balcony and which has an upper horizontal sectional element, which is adapted to be positioned, when mounting the frame device, close to the roof slab.

BACKGROUND ART

Prior art frame devices of this kind, besides having an upper horizontal sectional element, also have a lower horizontal sectional element and at each side a vertical sectional element. When building-in a balcony, which has a balcony slab and a roof slab located straight above the former, the lower horizontal sectional element of such a frame device is placed on supporting elements, which are fastened to one of the edge surfaces of the balcony slab and project slightly from this edge surface. The upper horizontal sectional element of the frame device is subsequently fastened to supporting elements, which are fastened to the corresponding edge surface of the roof slab and project slightly therefrom, the upper horizontal sectional element being positioned close to the roof slab. When the wall elements supported by the frame device are glass plates, as is generally the case, blind devices, such as roller blind devices, venetian blind devices, lamellar devices or the like, are usually arranged on the built-in balcony. These blind devices are presently fastened by means of various types of fittings which, after mounting the frame device, are positioned on and fastened to the underside of the roof slab and/or to the inside of the upper horizontal sectional element. This means that relatively time-consuming extra work is needed after the mounting of the frame device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a frame device, which is so constructed that this extra work is reduced to a minimum.

This object is achieved by a frame device, which is of the type stated by way of introduction and characterised in that the upper horizontal sectional element supports a second sectional element, which extends parallel thereto and which is connected to the upper horizontal sectional element pivotally about a pivot axis parallel to the upper horizontal sectional element, the second sectional element being pivotable relative to the upper horizontal sectional element between an inwardly pivoted position and an outwardly pivoted position, and that the second sectional element is arranged to support a blind device adapted for the balcony, such as a roller blind device.

In a frame device thus constructed, a blind device is provided, after mounting the frame device, simply by the second sectional element being pivoted outward to the outwardly pivoted position and optionally fixed in this position.

In a preferred embodiment, the upper horizontal sectional element has a longitudinal recess, which is adapted to at least partially receive a blind device supported by the second sectional element, when the second sectional element is in the inwardly pivoted position.

When storing, transporting and mounting the frame device, the second sectional element is suitably in the inwardly pivoted position, the blind device being at least partially received in the recess, in order to be pivoted outward, after mounting of the frame device to a balcony, to the outwardly pivoted position, in which the blind device is ready for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a built-in balcony provided with a frame device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the balcony from the right in FIG. 1, the frame side elements of the frame device being removed.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of FIG. 2 on a larger scale, a cover strip being shown in a retracted position and a sectional element for the support of a roller blind device being shown in an inwardly pivoted position.

FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. 3 but shows the cover strip in an extracted position and the sectional element in an outwardly pivoted position.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The balcony shown in the drawings has a horizontal balcony slab 1 and a horizontal roof slab 2, which is located straight above the former and which in this case serves as a balcony slab for an upper balcony. Correspondingly, the balcony slab 1 can serve as a roof slab for a lower balcony. The two slabs 1 and 2 are concrete or steel slabs, which are fastened to a house wall (not shown) in a conventional manner.

A plurality of L-shaped holder elements 3, which have a horizontal leg 3 a and a vertical leg 3 b, are fastened, in a spaced-apart manner, by means of bolts 6, to the front edge surface 4 and the side edge surfaces 5 of the roof slab 2. The vertical leg 3 b of the holder elements 3 abuts against the associated edge surface 4, 5, and their horizontal leg 3 a projects therefrom at the lower end of the vertical leg 3 b. The bolt 6 extends through an elongated hole 7 in each vertical leg 3 b, which allows some adjustment of the vertical position of the horizontal leg 3 a.

A plurality of L-shaped supporting elements 8, which have a horizontal leg 8 a and a vertical leg 8 b, are fastened, in a spaced-apart manner, by means of bolts 11, to the front edge surface 4 and 9, respectively, and the side edge surfaces 5 and 10, respectively, of the roof slab 2 and of the balcony slab 1. The vertical leg 8 b of the supporting elements 8 abuts against the associated edge surface 4, 5, 9, 10, and their horizontal leg 8 a projects therefrom at the upper end of the vertical leg 8 b. The bolt 11 extends through an elongated hole 12 in each vertical leg 8 b, which allows some adjustment of the vertical position of the horizontal leg 8 a.

Each supporting element 8 has a ridged part 13, which is arranged on its horizontal leg 8 a and extends parallel to the respective edge surfaces 4, 5, 9, 10. The ridged part 13 is fastened to the supporting element 8 by means of a bolted joint 14, which extends through an elongated hole (not shown) in the horizontal leg 8 a, which allows some adjustment of the distance of the ridged part 13 from the respective edge surfaces 4, 5, 9, 10.

The balcony is built-in and has, on its front side, a fixed lower wall plate 15 made of sheet metal and three glass plates 16, 16′, 16″, which are horizontally movable relative to each other. The wall plate 15 and the glass plates 16, 16′, 16″ are mounted in a frame device according to the invention, which has an upper horizontal sectional element 17, a lower horizontal sectional element 18 and an intermediate horizontal sectional element 19. The wall plate 15 is mounted between the lower sectional element 18 and the intermediate sectional element 19. The glass plates 16, 16′, 16″ are mounted in a manner known per se between the upper sectional element 17 and the intermediate sectional element 19 and are movable relative to each other. The sectional elements 17, 18, 19 are suitably made of aluminium.

The drawings show a corresponding lower sectional element 18′ in a frame device at the upper balcony. The two lower sectional elements 18 and 18′ are identical.

The lower sectional element 18 (18′) has a longitudinal groove 20 (20′) on its underside and a vertically downwardly projecting outer flange 21 (21′) on its front side.

The lower sectional element 18 of the frame device rests on the lower supporting elements 8. The ridged part 13 of each supporting element 8 is positioned in the groove 20 of the lower sectional element 18. The lower sectional element 18 rests on the front edge surface 9 of the balcony slab 1 by way of a strip seal 23.

The frame device at the upper balcony is supported in corresponding manner by the upper supporting elements 8, the lower sectional element 18′ resting on the front edge surface 4 of the roof slab 2 by way of a strip seal 23′.

The upper sectional element 17 of the frame device abuts from the underside against the horizontal leg 3 a of the holder elements 3 and is fastened thereto by means of a bolted joint 24, which extends through an elongated hole (not shown) in each leg 3 a. This allows some adjustment of the distance of the upper sectional element 17 from the respective edge surfaces 4, 5 of the roof slab 2.

When a balcony is built-in, the supporting elements 8 and the holder elements 3 are first fastened to the balcony slab 1 and the roof slab 2 in the manner described above. After that, the frame device is positioned on the lower supporting elements 8 in such a manner that their ridged parts 13 are received in the groove 20 in the lower sectional element 18. Subsequently, the upper sectional element 17 is fastened to the holder elements 3 by means of the bolted joints 24. It is possible to compensate for any dimensional tolerances in the vertical and the lateral directions thanks to the fact that the position of the holder elements 3 and the supporting elements 8 can be adjusted in the vertical direction and that of the bolted joints 14 and 24 in the lateral direction.

The upper horizontal sectional element 17 has a downwardly facing supporting surface 25, to which a plurality of leaf springs 26 are fastened at a distance from each other along the sectional element 17. The leaf springs 26 extend at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the sectional element 17 and are fastened to the supporting surface 25 at their outer end, for instance, by means of screws (not shown). Each leaf spring 26 forms together with the supporting surface 25 a pocket 27 which is open inwardly towards the balcony (to the right in FIGS. 2-4).

A cover strip 28, which is substantially L-shaped in cross-section and which extends parallel to the sectional element 17 and has a horizontal leg 28 a and a vertical leg 28 b, is inserted into the pocket 27 with its horizontal leg 28 a.

The upper horizontal sectional element 17 has a longitudinal recess 29, which is upwardly defined by the downwardly facing supporting surface 25 and downwardly defined by an upwardly facing supporting surface 30 of the sectional element 17. A sectional element 31 extends parallel to the sectional element 17 and is connected to the same pivotally about a horizontal pivot axis. The upper horizontal sectional element 17 has a channel portion 32 at the free side edge of the supporting surface 30, which channel portion serves as an attachment for the sectional element 31 and the cross-section of which is substantially part-circular and has an extent slightly greater than 180°. The sectional element 31 has at one of its side edges a longitudinal bead 33, which is substantially circular in cross-section and is axially inserted into the channel portion 32. The sectional element 31 is pivotable relative to the upper horizontal sectional element 17 between an inwardly pivoted position (FIGS. 2 and 3), in which it abuts against the cover strip 28 at its other side edge, and an outwardly pivoted position (FIG. 4), in which it rests with a protrusion 34 on the sectional element 17.

The sectional element 31 supports a blind device adapted for the balcony, which in this case is a roller blind device 35 mounted between two end pieces 36 fastened to the sectional element 31, one of which is removed in FIGS. 2-4 for the sake of clarity. When the sectional element 31 is in the outwardly pivoted position, the roller blind device 35 is ready for use.

When the frame device is stored, transported and mounted, the cover strip 28 is in a maximally retracted position in the pocket 27 and the second sectional element 31 is in the inwardly pivoted position, the roller blind device 35, being at least partially received in the recess 29 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The cover strip 28 and the sectional element 31 are maintained, during storing, transporting and mounting, in their retracted and inwardly pivoted position, respectively, by means of a tape (not shown) extending around the upper horizontal sectional element 17, the cover strip 28 and the sectional element 31. After removal of this tape, the sectional element 31 is pivotable from its inwardly pivoted position to its outwardly pivoted position, after which the cover strip 28 is extractable from its retracted position to an arbitrarily extracted position (FIG. 4).

With the frame device mounted on the balcony, it is possible, after removal of the tape and by simply pivoting the sectional element 31 to the outwardly pivoted position, to position the roller blind device 35 very quickly, after which it is immediately ready for use.

When the frame device is mounted on the balcony, which, as mentioned above, is performed with the cover strip 28 in a retracted position and the sectional element 31 in an inwardly pivoted position, a gap S forms between the roof slab 2 and the upper horizontal sectional element 17. Through this gap S, substantially in the direction of the arrow P, at least parts of the holder elements 3 and the supporting elements 8 fastened to the roof slab 2 and parts of the bolted joints 14 and 24 are visible from the balcony. By extracting the cover strip 28 to a suitable position (FIG. 4), after the mounting operation and after pivoting the sectional element 31 to an outwardly pivoted position, it is possible to give the transition area between the roof slab 2 and the upper horizontal sectional element 17 of the frame device an aesthetically more pleasing appearance in a very simple and rapid manner. 

1. A frame device, which is adapted to be mounted between a balcony slab (1) and a roof slab (2) located straight above the former and to support wall elements (15, 16, 16′, 16″), such as glass plates, for at least partial building-in of a balcony and which has an upper horizontal sectional element (17), which is adapted to be positioned, when mounting the frame device, close to the roof slab (2), wherein the upper horizontal sectional element (17) supports a second sectional element (31), which extends parallel thereto and which is connected to the upper horizontal sectional element pivotally about a pivot axis parallel to the upper horizontal sectional element (17), the second sectional element (31) being pivotable relative to the upper horizontal sectional element (17) between an inwardly pivoted position and an outwardly pivoted position, and that the second sectional element (31) is arranged to support a blind device (35) adapted for the balcony, such as a roller blind device.
 2. A frame device as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper horizontal sectional element (17) has a longitudinal recess (29), which is adapted to at least partially receive a blind device (35) supported by the second sectional element (31), when the second sectional element is in the inwardly pivoted position.
 3. A frame device as claimed in claim 2, in which the second sectional element (31) is in the inwardly pivoted position during storing, transporting and mounting of the frame device, and the blind device (35) is thus at least partially received in the recess (29), in order to be pivoted outward, after mounting of the frame device to a balcony, to the outwardly pivoted position, in which the blind device (35) is ready for use. 